How the uninformed views a deluxe

[Hisgirl]

I love to read reviews!! I write reviews all the time and love hearing how others view a restaurant or hotel.

It was this review that really caught my attention. It's about a particular deluxe hotel at Disney. I'm switching up details to disguise the author, but suffice it to say they felt very disappointed and I have to admit, I felt compassion as I read along. I truly had not realized just how different our disney experiences can be. Without the research, one can step onsite and not partake in much of the magic. This poor fella came during Christmas and didn't have dinner reservations. Anywhere. He also didn't know he would be standing in line for rides. I was surprised when I read this but I did wonder if there is anything in the literature he would have received that does say that ADRs are 100% necessary during holidays. I am sure the lit DOES recommend making reservations but maybe he didn't read it. And sir, you CAN be a VIP. This is an example of what can happen when you don't do the research.

Read along and see how far one can depart from all of the knowledge we have acquired.

I was really disappointed about this Hotel being a deluxe Disney hotel.
Not only was it very expensive but the rooms were too small.
I was expecting much more Disney decorated rooms or the possibility to get theme rooms.

Christmas time everything was fully booked... also restaurants. We had to have our Christmas dinner in the room. The Hotel should tell before how it is and recommend their guests to reserve a restaurant.

Also they should inform you before about restaurants and attractions in the park, for example dining with the beast in Be Our Guest has 6 months wait to get a reservations.

I think you should be able to buy as a Hotel Guest a VIP card for all attractions, now you can get only 2 or 3 fast passes a day, again not fair for those who spent money on a nice hotel and have to stand in line most of the day.

The food is terrible for this kind of standard Hotel, poor breakfast for European people, no cold cuts like ham or salami or a decent cheese, for kids you have American pancakes with all kind of toppings and even sweets, not very healthy, my children had more sugar in the time we stayed there than they get in the whole year at home.

Breakfast with the Disney figures like Tigger etc, it's a must when you have kids but they only stay a very little tiny moment at your table and if you're kids don't speak English they stay less.

Restaurant food poor as well, I was expecting much better quality from Disney.

There is a pool outside the water was ice cold don't understand they don't put a warming system in, no children playground which I found unbelievable being a Disney Hotel ( a pirate boat climbing frame with pirate of the Caribbean statues) no Disney figure statues in the Hotel or gardens.

Disney you could make this Hotel so much nicer and unforgettable only using a bit more imagination.
Make sure you get a room overlooking the Magic Kingdom Park if you want to use this Hotel.
I will not come back to this Hotel

 

[DizDaD7]

Ok I'm guessing Studio at BLT perhaps???...Not sure how to respond to this.

All's I know is, as in every vacation you take I would assume you'd want to do a little bit of research into what you are about to partake in..Disney or not... I'm sorry that this person seems to have had a bad experience, but Now more than 10-15 years ago, it's waaay easier to get more and more info about WDW and TS and stuff, just from the internet alone...

 

[ModernArtist]

Oh boo hoo...this poor European and his Firstworldproblems. Didn't think he needed a dinner reservation for Christmas? Ok then...

A lot of elitist attitude in his review and most of his complaints are his own ignorant fault for not doing a tiny bit of research. No sympathy here.

 

[Hisgirl]

He totally could have done his research. I just posted this to show that there really are folks who are 100% uninformed about Disney contrasted with our Masters degree in all things Mickey. And how that non-education can transform into a not fun vacation.

I would venture to say WDW is probably the one place in the world where one 100% needs to be equipped with info prior to a visit.

 

[sukhakuli]

It sounds like they are from overseas and there was some cultural disconnect. I remember watching a British family try to get ketchup for about 10 mins at Pizza Planet because they kept calling it tomato sauce and the kid behind the counter didn't have a clue what they wanted. Also, don't assume that information is as readily available overseas as it is here. Because Disney is based in the US, information about the parks might be easier to get. I don't know, I guess I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt and try not to judge too much since I don't really know what happened. the whole, walk a mile in someone else's shoes thing.

And I agree with him, when you call Disney to book a hotel, they should have a quick spiel they run through telling you that they recommend restaurant reservations and here's how you get them. That's not hard.

 

[Hisgirl]

He may have made his reservation online and ignored any info that arrived in the mail. Actually, I would imagine there are many folks who are totally clueless and just call, make a reservation and show up. What a surprise they get!

 

[DisneyGuy758]

And people wonder why we are so fanatical when it comes to planning a trip. It's so you don't have things like this happen. For any trip, not just Disney ones, there is an amount of research that should go in to it. You don't get to your destination and then make a hotel reservation, nor should you have no idea about what is a round for dining. We went to Virginia Beach a couple of years ago. I did so much research before hand so I would have an idea of places to eat at that weren't tourist traps, and had a menu every one in the family would enjoy.

Things like this guys 'vacation' just shouldn't happen in this day and age with all the info readily available to you.

 

[dis_guy]

Yeah, some research would have helped this person but I did the research ahead of time too and was still overwhelmed the first time we went. I've spent quite a bit of time in nicer European hotels and totally get the "culture shock" this person felt. Most breakfasts at European hotels leave N. American hotels, even Disney Deluxes far, far, behind, and are often included with your stay. Our family also tries to eat well when travelling and it's way easier to do overseas than at Disney, just saying. However, when we go, we make allowances and try to just go with the flow where necessary. Some of the "unwelcoming" comments above are disconcerting to me. I am a "foreign" visitor as well, being Canadian, and sometimes think people don't see the economic benefit international travellers bring to the US economy. Those Virgin 747s at MCO are loaded with hundreds of people with pockets full of money to spend there. It should be plain to see that Disney World is an international destination resort so expect to see and hear lots of different kinds of people with many different opinions. Thankfully, all of the local folks I've met at Disney are friendly, accepting, and kind to visitors.

 

[Hisgirl]

It saddens me too. We can't really expect folks from other countries to always 'know the ropes'. I do wish that there was an easier way for people to realize how Disney has changed. Even my sister, who has gone to WDW many times and stayed at GF made the comment last year, "Why are you making dinner reservations? No one will be at Disney. It's the fall." She should know better but if folks aren't info fanatics like we are, they could easily fall through the cracks.

There are many places I'd like to visit. And seeing how important it is to have even the most finite detail planned to go to disney, it makes me wonder if there is anywhere else where this is true.

 

[tarak]

Hisgirl, I completely understand what you mean. I'm planning a trip for this August and my sister and niece will be joining us. My niece has been to WDW once, about five years ago. She lives in California and is used to the DL FP system, which obviously was still around at WDW the last time she was here. My sister already thinks I'm nuts for having planned meals 6 months in advance. I haven't yet screwed up the courage to ask her what rides she wants to go on two months in advance of our vacation.

 

[cckp72]

There is so much information available on line, I don't care where you are from, it's available to you. For instance, what ever site he posted that review on - he could have used as a starting point. He was obviously capable of writing a review - how about trying reading?! I also don't have much sympathy.

I find it curious how many people I know personally who don't think that planning is essential to a Disney vacay. I give as much advice as I can but I do stop short of preaching to them where/what/when - I direct them to web pages and forums to do their own research. I really don't want to be blamed if the vacation doesn't turn out the way they expect.

 

[Dizduke]

A few things:

1) No matter where you are in the world, reservations are usually NEEDED for a nice Christmas dinner. If you dont make reservations you cannot expect a nice christmas meal. However, you can still get really great food without a "ressie" at Mizners.
2) It sounds like he was able to get a character meal anyway. Without making an ADR I'd say thats a positive, especially during Christmas time
3) When I was in europe I adjusted my food expectations. However, I can't imagine someone walking away from California grill or V&A saying the food was bad. Taste varies greatly and Disney has a restaurant for every taste there is, you can't go to a few and say they are all bad.
4) In 2005 I didn't know a thing about Disney World. I walked up to CRT and asked if we could get a reservation. They said you usually book 6 months in advance. I was blown away, but said oh well and walked away with a smile on my face. You can't always get what you want, especially if LOTS of other people want it too.
5) The expense of deluxe resorts comes from location location location. If he/she wanted theming they should have checked out other hotels.
6) I recently did a trip, granted off season, but NEVER planned a meal or fastpass. It worked out fine. Planning isn't everything.

I'll stop here but could add much more. I think in the end its important that when you go anywhere in the world you can't expect everything to be perfect. Even at Disney. Whether you come away with magic, is mostly up to you.

 

[wdwrich]

This reminds me of a family DW and I know who went to Disneyland for the very first time on a Christmas day. They did no research whatsoever, and expected the park to be empty because everyone would be home doing Christmas "stuff". Not surprisingly, they had a terrible time due to the overwhelming crowds. The information is out there and easily found. Just a few minutes on the internet, or asking someone who is familiar with the destination can save a world of heartache.

 

[siskaren]

I was puzzled by his comment that the water in the pool was ice cold when I know that Disney keeps their pools heated. I also thought it was funny that he expected an American hotel to serve breakfast foods that a European visitor would expect.

 

[Coconut8473]

While I'm always surprised at people who will spend a big chunk of change on a vacation and not do ANY research (whether Euro, American or otherwise), I've found that the ADR thing does seem to take a lot of uninitiated people by surprise for some reason. Just 10 or so years ago, before DDP really took off the way it has now, you really could be a lot more flexible and spur-of-the-moment with your dining options... maybe not Character dining, but I remember just walking on up to TS restaurants in Epcot and being seated after only a 10-15 min wait. Wondering if people are remembering those times, or getting outdated info from friends or family who haven't been to WDW in years? Disney sites and literature all do advise that ADRs are recommended, but I think they need to be much more up front about how they're pretty much necessary now, as oddly a lot of people seem to miss this point. It seems so obvious to me, but wondering if it's just because I'm a Disney nut??

We also always "warn" people to manage their expectations when going Deluxe. That sounds harsh (and we're HUGE Disney fans, so not meant as a knock!) but frequent travelers are used to getting a certain level of amenity for $400 a night elsewhere (exceptions being maybe NYC, LA or SF). The biggest appeal of Deluxe is often location, and an uninitiated eye might see some of the older rooms' decor as worn or rough around the edges for that price.

 

[adc]

First of all, his idea that he should wait in no lines because he had a deluxe resort? Sorry, pal.

I do not have my Masters in Disneyworld. I've only been twice and once as an adult. I did a ton of research and maybe after this trip I'll have my associates. I research any vacation we go on. I don't want to waste money. I want to get every drop of value out of my money. I don't want to stand around at my destination wondering what to do next. When I planned our trip last year I was so worried my husband would hate it. Nope! Everything was planned, we knew what we were doing, he loved it, and was very happy to book a trip this year. I know that if we wandered around looking for food or waiting for 45 minutes in lines, it would be our last trip to Disney ever.

My parents are coming with us this year. My dad is not excited other than being with this grandson. I am curious to see how he feels about it this time. We will have cooler weather, lower crowds, and more plans. We had a great trip in 1989, but we waited in a ton of lines!

I just realized I cried when we left on our last day then and last year at 34. Maybe I'll handle myself better this year.

 

[IrishNYC]

I dont' understand how he could make a reservation and know absolutely none of these things. Did he just have a TA book a hotel without looking at it himself to see whether it was themed? He wanted them to recommend you make dining reservations in advance - well, they do! Guess what? My kid eats more sweets on vacation than she does at home, too. Maybe it's me, but I'm not expecting stellar food at Disney because I'm not there for the food. I'm there for the experience. I'm sure I'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

[adc]

I'm on a FB forum for moms. A lady in there posted the other day about her neighbor that had her assistant book here trip for her. The neighbor offered advice, the lady didn't have time for that.

Fast forward to three days into the trip and the lady and her family hadn't left the resort yet (AKL), had only eaten counter service, and didn't understand there are four parks. She called the neighbor mad and confused that no one had told her what was up. She didn't even know how many park days she had or PH or not. She went to the front desk and had 8 days of PH. The bad thing is the assistant will probably get in trouble for not planning stuff out.

 

[Ceryssa]

Nope. Sorry, I don't have any sympathy at all. I work for a small vacation rental company and this issue isn't limited to Disney. People don't read information you send them, don't bother to ask questions, then blame us because they take off without knowing where they're going and get lost, or wait til the last minute and everything's booked. I'm talking on a regular basis, not the occasional isolated issue. People are just entitled and lazy a lot of the time. After dealing with this kind of crap for the last several years I have lost any compassion I might have had for people. And with Disney it's even worse, because there are literally books written on it! All you have to do is ask someone, or do a Google search! This makes me so mad because I deal with it ALL. THE. TIME.

 

[IrishNYC]

I'm on a FB forum for moms. A lady in there posted the other day about her neighbor that had her assistant book here trip for her. The neighbor offered advice, the lady didn't have time for that.

Fast forward to three days into the trip and the lady and her family hadn't left the resort yet (AKL), had only eaten counter service, and didn't understand there are four parks. She called the neighbor mad and confused that no one had told her what was up. She didn't even know how many park days she had or PH or not. She went to the front desk and had 8 days of PH. The bad thing is the assistant will probably get in trouble for not planning stuff out.

In that case, shame on the assistant. S/he should have known from already working for the woman that she needed to be spoon fed information. I would have sent her on her way with an itinerary all printed out.